


Initiation

by Jaxon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Hogwarts, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 18:10:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12846702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaxon/pseuds/Jaxon
Summary: Slytherin house is crawling with halfbloods.  Some have parents who are halves themselves.  Some have parents who are pure.  Thanks to a little initiation rite, the pureblood prefects know how to spot the worthy ones...





	Initiation

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr prompt: Yes we have another Lucius/Narcissa/Severus fan! I read your tags tonight and I adore how Lucius is in your posts and uses his prefect influence to help Severus at school. This isn't a shippy question but could you fic the start of their friendship?

_1991_

“Draco tells me that Slytherin house no longer plays the initiation game.”

“Oh?  I wonder when they ceas-”

“Severus,” Lucius purred, pouring a healthy measure of firewhisky into his old friend’s glass before sinking into the seat opposite him.  “Now, now.  Do not play innocent with me.  Draco informs me-”

“I see I shall have to keep a keen eye on the boy,” Severus interrupted.

“-he informs me,” Lucius continued, loudly, “that the initiation game was banned by the current Slytherin housemaster.”

“Really?  Is that so?”  Severus paused, savouring the taste of the smooth liquid on his tongue.  “I had no idea that Draco had become the expert upon the inner workings of Slytherin house.”  He took another sip.  “And in just a week.”

Lucius raised his glass. “Why did you ban it?”

Severus ran his finger around the rim of the glass, and then placed it on the side table.  “It was divisive.”

“I don’t recall you thinking as such when-”

“-and although Slytherin was the most talented wizard of all, the pureblood rhetoric of the house is not something which should be shouted from the roof.”  He paused.  “Or the dungeons, for that matter.”

“Ah,” Lucius quirked an eyebrow.  “You’re really very good,” he murmured.  “I knew you had the old fool eating out of your hand, but I hadn’t realised just how convincing you seem.”

Severus took his glass and raised it in acknowledgement of Lucius’ praise.  “Of course, between you and me, it is important that the Slytherins retain house unity.”

“Dumbledore is still maligning the green and silver, I take it?”

Severus nodded.  “He favours the Gryffindors, as always.  I do my best to thwart his efforts, and that means all of my students working as one, purebloods and all halfbloods alike.”

“Evidently it is working.  Draco tells me that Slytherin has won the House Cup for the past six years.”

“Your boy really is incredibly well informed.”

Lucius smiled.  “Did you expect anything else from a two?”

* * *

_1971_

He sat in the circle, nervously watching as the tall blond boy casually shook the bottle in his hand.

“Really, Malf, must you?”

“It’s hardly champagne,” Lucius drawled, summoning shot glasses with his wand.  They floated in the air, each within reach of a sitting child.

“Bubbles or not,” Evan mumbled, “it’s not classy to shake a bottle of firewhisky.”

Lucius paused before Evan. “You don’t have to drink it, Rosier,” he said, quietly.  “If you’re scared, you can run off to bed.”

Severus shifted position, pulling his knees up tight against his chest, and wrapping his arms around them. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his features and hide his rising panic.  A quick glance around the other first years showed that he wasn’t the only one concerned at the prefect’s words but Lucius and Evan hadn’t seemed to notice.

“I’m not scared,” Evan scoffed.  “It’s just uncouth.”  He glanced at Lucius’ furious expression, and quickly put his head down.  “Of course, it’s your firewhisky, Malf.  A good shake would do it good, I’m sure.”

Severus watched in fascination as Evan was quickly cowed, and a sly smile slid across Lucius’ features.

“Good boy,” Lucius said, patronisingly.  “It is indeed my firewhisky, and I shall do exactly what I please with it.”  He took his place in the circle, and put the bottle beside him.  “Now, a toast for our new little snakes!”  He grabbed his shot glass from out of the air, and downed the drink – and the rest of the circle followed suit.

* * *

“Narcissa, why don’t you start this next game?  It is your favourite, after all.” Lucius raised his shot glass towards the blond girl sitting next to him.  Severus had been sneaking furtive looks at her night; he had never seen anyone quite as beautiful and sophisticated in his life.  

She reached forwards, and her slim fingers grasped her refilled glass, and with a smooth, delicate movement, she drank the shot.  “Two.”

Lucius smiled, and nodded. He knocked his drink back.  “Two.”  He turned to the boy next to him.  “Nott?”

The boy downed his drink. “Two for me.”

Severus watched as the students called out their numbers – there weren’t many further twos.  A few older students called out one, but most students called out none, their cheeks aflame.  Half way around the circle, it was apparent that all of the new first years were zeroes.

“Gone to the dogs, this place,” Rosier groaned, as another student called out a zero.

“The twos have all gone to Durmstrang,” Nott added.

“And taken the ones with them, ow!”  Rosier turned back to Lucius who had rapped his knuckles sharply with his wand.  “Really, Malf?”

“You are both being incredibly rude to our new housemates,” he said, smoothly.  He waved his hand towards the next first year.  “Please, do continue.”

When it came to Severus’ turn, he reached for the glass and grimaced as the liquid again burnt a path down the inside of his chest.  “One.”

Lucius gave him a shark like smile.  “Mother?”

Severus nodded.

Rosier grinned.  “Had to be with a name like…  Can’t remember what it was, Stape?  Shape?  Hardly 28 material, is it?”

“Snape,” Severus mumbled, trying not to blush.

“Once again, Rosier, it appears I must remind you how to behave amongst our new friends.”  Lucius stood, briskly, and pulled Evan to his feet.

Rosier looked panicked. “Malf, I’m sorry, I’m not-”

“Bed,” he ordered, coolly. He appraised the rest of the group, and flicked his wand twice, causing the shot glasses to disappear.  “All of you, to bed.”

The students stood and instantly obeyed, but as Severus found his feet, he swayed dangerously.  He grabbed the arm of the nearest chair and sank back down again, his ears thundering as the footsteps of the retreating students made their exit.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” he said, trying not to move his head.  His brain felt like it was floating, and he had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.  “He said it was time for bed.”  Severus tried to get up, but Narcissa pressed her hand firmly against his shoulder and forced him back down into the seat.

“Sit there for a minute,” she said, softly.  She summoned a glass of water, and passed it to him.  “And drink this.  Slowly.”

“Are you quite all right?” Lucius said, striding back into the room.  

“Yeah.”

The tall blond crouched before him, and brushed Severus’ overlong hair behind one ear.  “I say, you out drank half of the third year.  A sterling effort for your first night.”

“Yeah.”  He paused, looking a bit green.  “Is it the same every night?”

Narcissa laughed.  “No.  Thankfully. And you’ll regret this tomorrow.”

“No, he won’t,” said Lucius, summoning a vial.  He took the glass of water from Severus’ hands and gave him the potion instead.

“…more?”  Severus’ heart sank.  He desperately didn’t want to upset his new friends, or embarrass himself, but the room was already wobbling.

“Trust me.”

Severus tipped the potion down his throat, and was amazed when the room stopped spinning.  “Oh…thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Lucius said, ruffling the boy’s hair.  “Now, Cissy, take the boy to his bed.”

Narcissa stood, and to Severus’ surprise, she held her hand out.  Cautiously, he slipped his hand into hers and allowed himself to be led out of the common room.

“Does everyone always do as he says?” Severus asked, quietly.

“Mostly.”

“I’m not much good at taking orders.”  

Narcissa gave a small smile. “You’ll be all right.  He likes you.”

“Really?”

“And I do too,” she said, her smile genuine.  “It’s been a while since we’ve had a one.”  She gave him a gentle push towards his door.  “Go on, do as he says.”

“Narcissa?”

She sighed.  “You first years are all the same.  Being away from home isn’t all staying up past midnight.”

“I’m going, I am!  I just…  I just wondered, how do you know I’m a one?”

“You told us.”

“Yeah but,” he scratched behind his ear.  “This is the house of cunning minds, isn’t it?  So why didn’t the zeroes lie?”

“Why didn’t you lie and say you were a two?”  Narcissa gave him a pointed look and then tapped his nose with her finger.  “Lucius laced the bottle with Veritaserum.  It’s why he shook it.”  At his blank look, she elaborated.  “It’s a truth potion.”

Severus’ jaw nearly dropped.  “And anyone can use that at any time?  There’s no cure?”

“You have a flair for the dramatic, don’t you?” she laughed.  “Most witches and wizards wouldn’t know how to brew it.  There’s an antidote or two around if you’re so inclined.  Now, goodnight, Severus.”

“Narcissa?”

“You weren’t lying when you said you couldn’t follow orders.”  She gave him a hard stare.  “Last question.  I’m not answering anything else after this.”

“…sorry.  What did Lucius give me to make me feel better?”

“A hangover cure.  Difficult to brew, but very useful.”  She laughed.  “If you want to make friends in Slytherin, I suggest you concentrate in Potions class.”

“I will,” Severus replied, as Narcissa swept gracefully down the corridor.  “I really will.”


End file.
